Let’s talk about Western dragons first. Western dragons are all dragons that look like big lizards.
And the Dragon in the East
According to historical records, as early as four or five thousand years ago, when humans were in a clan society, each clan worshiped an animal, such as cattle, Horses, tigers, deer, snakes, etc. are used as symbols of the clan. Later, there was a powerful clan that annexed all the other clans, and then they put the animal symbols of each clan together to create the most ferocious animal image. This is the origin of the so-called "dragon".
The record of "dragon" in ancient Chinese books has always been controversial. In the "Book of Rites·Liyun Chapter", it is called "'dragon, scale, phoenix and turtle', which are called the four spirits. ""Shuowen" says that "dragon" is the length of the scale insect, which can be thin or giant, long or short. "Northern Wilderness Sutra": "There is a god in Zhangwei Mountain. He has a human face and a snake body and is red. He has straight eyes and is riding straight. His eyes are dark when he is silent. His vision is clear. He neither eats nor sleeps. He does not stop the wind and rain. He is called a dragon." It can be seen that. Dragons have long been regarded as spiritual objects. Li Shizhen said in "Compendium of Materia Medica" that "the dragon has nine similarities: its head is like a snake, its horns are like a deer, its eyes are like a rabbit, and its ears are like an ox..." The dragon is imagined to have the strengths of various animals, and has become a kind of dragon. Something magical. "Shu Yin Zhengyi" says: "The dragon is the star of the year, the star of the year is the tree, and the tree is the green dragon"; it also says that "the stars in the east of the heavenly palace are all the abodes of the blue dragon." It is said that the Dragon King is the king of the dragon genus, and he calls his family the king. Therefore, "The Sutra of Dayun Asking for Rain" says: "There are one hundred and eighty-five dragon kings, who are the gods of causing wind and rain." The Dragon King of the Four Seas is the four dragon kings mentioned in the novel "Journey to the West", namely Ao Guang of the East China Sea, Ao Guang of the South China Sea Ao Qin, Beihai Ao Shun, Xihai Ao Run. It is also said that the Dragon King has nine sons. According to "Yuzhitang Bihui": "The nine sons of a dragon will not become a dragon, and each has his own interests." This is a very interesting myth. The names and special hobbies of his nine sons are: the eldest son Qi Niu, who was good at music in his life, and the animal carved on the head of the Huqin today is his portrait; the second son Yazui, who was fond of killing in his life, and the dragon swallowing his mouth on the golden knife handle is his portrait; the third son Mo is Feng, he was fond of danger in his life, and the beast on the corner of the palace is his portrait; Pulao, his fourth son, was fond of moaning, and the animal button on the bell is his portrait; Baxia, his fifth son, he was fond of carrying heavy loads, and the beast on the monument is his portrait; Biandan, the sixth son He was fond of litigating throughout his life, and the lion head on the prison gate is his portrait today; Bazi Manqi was fond of swallowing in his life, and the animal head on the spine of the palace is his portrait (the original text records that one son is missing). However, "Sheng'an Waiji" also contains the story of Long having nine sons. In addition to being the same as the three names Pulao, Biuan and Yaizhen recorded in "Yuzhitang Bihui", it also says: "It looks like a turtle and is good at carrying heavy loads. Today This is the turtle leaping under the stele; the Chiki is shaped like an animal and has a good nature, so it is the head of the beast on the roof; the Taotie is a good food, so it is erected on the lid of the tripod; the Papi is good at standing, so it is erected on the bridge. The 猊, shaped like a lion, loves fireworks, so it stands on the incense burner; the jiaotu, shaped like a snail and clam, has a closed nature, so it stands at the head of the door." According to the records of "Sheng'an Waiji", they happened to be the nine sons of the Dragon King. There is also a description of the dragon in Chapter 20 of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Cao Cao and Liu Bei talked about the changes of the dragon. Cao Cao said: "The dragon can be big or small, it can rise or hide; when it is big, it can swallow clouds and spit out mist, and when it is small, it can hide. Hidden form, soaring in the universe, hidden in the waves..." These words are nothing more than saying that the dragon is a strange spiritual thing that does not exist in the world and cannot be seen by people.
What exactly does a dragon look like? Anyone who has visited the colored glass brick screen wall in the west of the Heavenly King’s Palace on the north bank of Beihai in Beijing can see nine dragons of different shapes in front and behind the wall. They are vigorous and vigorous. The dragon's claws are powerful and the image is vivid and lifelike, as if it is galloping in the clouds and waves. This is the famous "Nine Dragon Wall". After seeing the Nine Dragon Wall, I have a little bit of the concept of "dragon" in my mind. There is the word "dragon" in the oracle bone inscriptions of the Yin Ruins in my country. There are four characters in traditional and simplified Chinese characters. From the traditional character of dragon, it looks like an animal with a horned head, a big mouth, tattoos, and a graceful shape. There are also three characters in simplified characters, which also express the image of a big mouth and a curved body. There is a saying in "Zuo Zhuan" that "dragons and snakes are born in the mountains and swamps". It is recorded in "The Book of the Sea": "The body of a snake has a human face, and its hair is like ocher, and it lives under Zhongshan Mountain." It seems that the dragon referred to in ancient times is a snake-like animal. According to "Shen Nong's Materia Medica", lizards are called stone dragons and snakes are called dragon clothes. It can be seen that the imaginary dragon and snake or Xixi belong to the same kind of reptiles.
In Chinese culture, the dragon has an important status and influence. From the Neolithic Age, more than 7,000 years ago, ancestors worshiped the primitive dragon totem, and today, people still use idioms or allusions with the word "dragon" to describe the beautiful things in life.
For thousands of years, dragons have penetrated into all aspects of Chinese society and become a kind of cultural cohesion and accumulation. The dragon has become a symbol of China, the Chinese nation, and Chinese culture. For every descendant of the Yan and Huang Dynasties, the image of the dragon is a symbol, a mood, and a flesh-and-blood emotion! . The titles "descendants of the dragon" and "descendants of the dragon" often make us excited, energetic and proud. In addition to being spread and inherited in the land of China, dragon culture has also been brought to all parts of the world by Chinese people who have traveled overseas. In Chinese residential areas or Chinese cities around the world, the most common and eye-catching ornament is still the dragon. Therefore, "descendants of the dragon" and "the kingdom of the dragon" have also gained world recognition.
The development of dragons - the influence of dragons (1):
Chinese dragon culture, It is 8,000 years old and has a long history. The image of the dragon has penetrated into every corner of society, and its influence has spread to all aspects of culture in a colorful and colorful way.
Poetry is the earliest form in Chinese literature. In the ancient collection of poems "The Book of Songs", there are already descriptions of dragons: "Ten Vehicles of Dragon Flags", "Dragon Flags Yang Yang", showing It represents the sacred and solemn scene of hunting with a dragon-painted flag in the wind during grand sacrificial activities. In the Chu Ci that emerged during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, dragons were also the object of poets' fantasy and praise. In the popular "Li Sao", the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan expressed his noble personality and strong concern for the country with passionate and sincere sentences and rich rhetoric. The poet talked about how he wanted to go to heaven to seek virtuous women and holy concubines because he was not tolerated by the young people of Chu State. He imagined that he could drive a dragon chariot and travel among the colorful clouds like an immortal:
As a chariot for Yu The flying dragon is here, and the Yao elephant is like a car.
How can I use my heart to separate myself? I will be far away and distance myself.
There are thousands of chariots in the village, and they are galloping with jade in their arms.
It is graceful to drive eight dragons, and it is gentle to carry a cloud flag.
(To the effect:
Ride that delicate flying dragon for me,
Ride on the chariot decorated with jade and ivory.
How can people with different minds live together?
I will leave myself and find myself far away!
My fleet has a thousand vehicles, arranged neatly,
< p>The team is majestic and rumbling.Each car is pulled by eight winding dragons.
Colorful cloud flags are flying on the car.
)